Panama City Beach, Florida has more than 320 days of sunshine a year and average temperatures that are usually pretty great - The Gulf breeze cools us some in the summertime, and the Gulf waters help keep us warmer in the wintertime. In fact, it's usually a pretty good time to visit Panama City Beach no matter what the weather.

If you'd like to get an idea of what the weather might be like several weeks or months down the road, check out the chart we put together with the monthly average air and water temperatures in our area:

Weather FrontsWhen a front passes over an area, it means a change in the weather. Many fronts cause weather events such as rain, thunderstorms, gusty winds, and tornadoes. At a cold front passes there may there may be dramatic thunderstorms. At a warm front there may be low stratus clouds. Usually the skies clear once the front has passed.

A weather front is a border between two different air masses at the Earth’s surface. Each air mass has its own characteristics such as temperature and humidity. Where two different air masses come in contact, the line between them is a front. Often there is turbulence where those different air masses come together. The turbulence can cause clouds and storms.

While many fronts cause storms andclouds, some fronts do not cause dramatic weather events, just a change in the temperature. However, a few fronts start Earth’s largest storms. Tropical waves, fronts that develop in the tropical Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Africa, are able to develop into tropical storms or hurricanes if conditions allow.

Fronts move over time as the air masses move. The direction that fronts move is often guided by high winds such as Jet Streams. Landforms like mountains can also change the path of a front.

Climate BufferThe ocean is an integral component of the world's climate due to its capacity to collect, drive and mix water, heat, and carbon dioxide. The ocean can hold and circulate more water, heat and carbon dioxide than the atmosphere although the components of the Earth's climate are constantly exchanged. Because the ocean can store so much heat, seasons occur later than they would and air above the ocean is warmed. Heat energy stored in the ocean in one season will affect the climate almost an entire season later. The ocean and the atmosphere work together to form complex weather phenomena like the North Atlantic Oscillation and El Niño. The many chemical cycles occurring between the ocean and the atmosphere also influence the climate by controlling the amount of radiation released into ecosystems and our environment.

The atmosphere directly above the ocean does not absorb much heat by itself, so in order for it to warm up, the temperature of the ocean has to rise first. The two other ways for the atmosphere to warm near the ocean are by reflection of light off of the surface of the ocean or by the evaporation of water from the ocean surface. The temperature of the ocean controls the climate in the lower part of the atmosphere, so for most areas of the Earth the ocean temperature is responsible for the air temperature.

The main forms of climate buffering by the ocean are by the transport of heat through ocean currents traveling across huge basins. Areas like the tropics end up being cooled and higher latitudes are warmed by this effect. Air temperatures worldwide are regulated by the circulation of heat by the oceans. The ocean stores heat in the upper two meters of the photic zone. This is possible because seawater has a very high density and specific heat and can store vast quantities of energy in the form of heat. The ocean can then buffer changes in temperature by storing heat and releasing heat. Evaporation cools ocean water which cools the atmosphere. It is most noticeable near the equator and the effect decreases closer to the poles.

Oxygen ProductionGases in the atmosphere like carbon, nitrogen, sulfur and oxygen are dissolved through the water cycle. The gases that are now crucial to all ecosystems and biological processes originally came from the inside layers of the earth during the period when the earth was first formed. The rate of flow for oxygen as well as other gases is controlled by biological processes, especially metabolism of organisms like prokaryotes and bacteria. Prokaryotes have been around since the beginning of the Earth, have evolved to be able to use chemical energy to create organic matter and are capable of both reducing and oxidizing inorganic compounds. Bacteria that can reduce inorganic compounds are anaerobic and those that oxidize inorganic compounds are aerobic. Aerobic bacteria release oxygen as a by-product of photosynthesis.

Approximately two billion years ago, aerobic bacteria began producing oxygen which gradually filled up all of the oxygen reservoirs in the environment. Once these “sinks” were filled, molecular oxygen began to build in the atmosphere, creating an environment favorable for other life to inhabit the Earth. Sinks included reduced iron ions and hydrogen sulfide gas. Evidence of this process can be found in the banded iron formations created when iron minerals were precipitated. The oxygen started to fill the atmosphere up and new bacteria evolved that could use oxygen to oxidize both inorganic and organic compounds. Bacteria that were accustomed to an oxygen-poor atmosphere only survived in anaerobic environments like sewage, swamps, and in the sediments of both marine and freshwater areas.

Phytoplankton account for possibly 90% of the world's oxygen production because water covers about 70% of the Earth and phytoplankton are abundant in the photic zone of the surface layers. Some of the oxygen produced by phytoplankton is absorbed by the ocean, but most flows into the atmosphere where it becomes available for oxygen dependent life forms.

We think of the sun as the main factor in our daily weatherIf it's a sunny day, it'll probably be hot and if it's cloudy we're in for a chilly day. The ocean, however, also plays a major role in the Earth's climate and weather. It does this by pulling the sun's energy along certain paths. For example, the climate on the West Coast of America (where California is) is usually pretty mild, since the winds are warmed up by the Pacific Ocean. The ocean is able to absorb and store heat that it gets from the sun. The water from the ocean can also affect the temperature of the atmosphere and its circulation all over the world. As a matter of fact, the upper 10 feet (3 meters) of the ocean hold the same amount of heat as is in the entire atmosphere. Water from the ocean is also the source of most of the water in the rain cycle.

The ocean plays a leading role in the Earth's climateHurricane Gustav was one of a series of hurricanes to strike the United States in 2008. Hurricanes originate over the tropical regions of the ocean under conditions where high humidity, light winds, and warm sea surface temperatures combine.

The ocean plays an important role in shaping our climate and weather patterns.

Warm ocean waters provide the energy to fuel storm systems that provide fresh water vital to all living things. Understanding and predicting precipitation is critical to farmers who decide which crops to plant, and how deep, based in part on soil moisture levels. Crop and food prices may increase when weather that is too wet or too dry adversely affects crops.

Like precipitation, extreme heat and cold also affect livestock management.

Weather prediction can be a life-saving tool. Aside from helping people prepare for catastrophic storms, prediction can help citizens and governments anticipate extreme hot and cold temperatures, which may cause death among the elderly.

Water management experts study how much rainfall to anticipate so they can manage reservoir levels and water usage, to ensure everyone has abundant water supplies.The ocean plays a leading role in the Earth's climateHurricane Gustav was one of a series of hurricanes to strike the United States in 2008. Hurricanes originate over the tropical regions of the ocean under conditions where high humidity, light winds, and warm sea surface temperatures combine.

The ocean plays an important role in shaping our climate and weather patternsWarm ocean waters provide the energy to fuel storm systems that provide fresh water vital to all living things. Understanding and predicting precipitation is critical to farmers who decide which crops to plant, and how deep, based in part on soil moisture levels. Crop and food prices may increase when weather that is too wet or too dry adversely affects crops.

Like precipitation, extreme heat and cold also affect livestock management.

Weather prediction can be a life-saving tool. Aside from helping people prepare for catastrophic storms, prediction can help citizens and governments anticipate extreme hot and cold temperatures, which may cause death among the elderly.

Water management experts study how much rainfall to anticipate so they can manage reservoir levels and water usage, to ensure everyone has abundant water supplies.

The Role of Ocean PhenomenaThe sea's influence on climate is periodically highlighted by two ocean phenomena that exert dramatic influences on weather patterns across the United States and many other countries. These phenomena are called El Nino and La Nina.

During an El Nino event, which usually lasts about a year and recurs every two to seven years, east-to-west trade winds in the tropical Pacific weaken or reverse direction. The change in winds causes ocean currents to flow eastward, transferring warm water from the western Pacific to the central and eastern Pacific. A low-pressure air mass—the type of air mass in which stormy weather develops—builds over the warm waters of the central and eastern Pacific. This air system carries heavy rainfall to the Pacific coast of South America. At the same time, a high-pressure system forms over the cool western Pacific and may lead to drought conditions in Southeast Asia.

Because the changes in air pressure associated with El Nino disrupt the normal circulation of the atmosphere, weather patterns in other parts of the world are also altered. In the United States, for example, El Nino events usually result in milder winters in the Midwest, heavy rains in the South, and dry conditions in the Pacific Northwest. Meteorologists said the El Nino of 1997-1998 led to severe flooding, landslides, and several deaths in North Carolina, Tennessee, and California.

A La Nina event often develops after an El Nino. La Nina is the climatic opposite of El Nino and occurs when strong trade winds push warm surface water westward, exposing lower cool waters in the east. As a result, a La Nina episode is characterized by cooler-than-normal water in the central and eastern Pacific and warmer-than-normal water in the western Pacific. This situation can lead to severe storms in Southeast Asia and drought in South America. Meteorologists said a La Nina that occurred in 1998-1999 also brought heavy rain and snow to the upper Midwest and the Pacific Northwest.

Oceanographers noted that conditions typical of La Nina continued into 2001, well beyond the one-to-two year length of a typical La Nina episode. They said this was probably due to the development of a long-term ocean condition called the Pacific Decadal Oscillation. Many scientists believe that this condition, which is characterized by cold waters off the Pacific coasts of North and South America, can last 20 to 30 years and may recur every few decades. They said this cold-water phase might cause harsh winter weather across the Midwest and Northeast for years to come.Short-term and Long-term InfluencesPatterns of warm and cold water in the ocean lead to the development of seasonal weather events as well. Two dramatic examples of such events are hurricanes and monsoons.

Hurricanes—called "typhoons" when they occur over the Northwest Pacific and "tropical cyclones" when they occur near Australia or over the Indian Ocean—are infamous for their powerful, destructive winds. They form where ocean water with a temperature of more than 26.5 degrees C (80 degrees F) evaporates. The water vapor is absorbed by the surrounding air. As the warm, moist air rises, the atmospheric pressure of the air below drops. Cooler air then swirls into this low-pressure area and begins to rotate around the low. As the air flow gains velocity, winds increase in intensity.

Hurricanes are warm-weather phenomena In the Atlantic and Northeast Pacific, they are most common in August and September, when water temperatures are highest. Typhoons can form in the Northwest Pacific throughout the year, but usually do so in summer. Tropical cyclones often strike the Indian Ocean region in May and November. The only significant hurricane threat in the United States is on the East Coast and along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico. Hurricanes in the Atlantic Ocean can grow more intense during La Nina episodes.

Like hurricanes, monsoons are a type of seasonal weather event resulting from special ocean conditions. Unlike the destructive nature of hurricanes, however, the winds of a monsoon bring needed rains that irrigate rice crops for tens of millions of people in Asia. Disruptions in monsoon patterns can lead to famine.

The winds of a monsoon blow continuously between April and October from the southwest over the northern Indian Ocean and onto the land. These winds are caused by differences in temperature between the land and sea. During summer, the sun heats the land more than the sea, and the air over the land warms and rises. To replace this air, moisture-laden air from the sea flows inland. As the moist air rises over the land, it cools, and the water vapor condenses to form clouds. The water in the clouds then falls as rain. In winter, when the sea is warmer than the land, the process is reversed. Then, cold, dry air over the land sinks and spreads out to the sea from the northeast.

The ocean not only influences weather and climate on a short-term basis, it also exerts a long-term effect on global climate. One of the ways it does this is by absorbing carbon dioxide gas from the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide is a type of greenhouse gas, a chemical compound that acts much like a greenhouse to trap solar heat in the lower atmosphere. Many scientists believe that increasing amounts of carbon dioxide, released into the air by the burning of fossil fuels, are gradually raising the temperature of Earth's surface in a process called global warming. Researchers anticipate that one result of global warming may be the melting of glaciers and ice caps, with a subsequent rise in ocean levels.

But the ocean may be helping to slow global warming through its ability to remove vast quantities of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. It is able to do this mainly because of the activity of tiny organisms called phytoplankton. These microbes carry out photosynthesis, the use of energy from the sun to make food from the chemical combination of carbon dioxide and water. Many researchers believe that were it not for the absorption of carbon dioxide by marine organisms, global warming would be occurring at a much faster rate that it actually is.

Much Remains UnknownWhether harmful or beneficial to people, the climate depends on the ocean. The interactions between the ocean and atmosphere are so intricate and complex that weather forecasters in 2001 had a long way to go until they could make reliable long-term forecasts. Nonetheless, the interplay between water and air is a basic fact of everyday life. So the next time you walk in the rain, watch snow fall, bundle up against the cold, or bask in bright sunshine, remember the awesome power that the ocean has over the weather.